Survive
by elomeno
Summary: This is an alternate ending to Allegiant in which (spoiler ahead) Tris and Uriah survive and Tris and Tobias might just find their simple new life together.
1. Chapter 1

**AN- This is my first fanfic so it might not be that good. I didnt like it when both Tris and Uriah died. So to provide myself some comfort I've written my own ending in which obviously both of them live. Anyways enjoy:)**

**I would also like to thank a friend of mine who has really helped me with this story.**

Tris POV:

"HOW DID YOU inoculate yourself against the death serum?" he asks me. He's still sitting in his wheelchair, but you don't need to be able to walk to fire a gun.

I blink at him still dazed.

"I didn't," I say.

"Don't be stupid," David says. "You can't survive the death serum without an inoculation, and I'm the only person in the compound who possesses the substance."

I just stare at him, not sure what to say. I didn't inoculate myself. The fact that I'm still standing upright is impossible. There's nothing more to add.

"I suppose it no longer matters," he says. "We're here now."

"What are you doing here?" I mumble. My lips feel awkwardly large, hard to talk around. I still feel that oily heaviness on my skin, like death is clinging to me even though I have defeated it.

I feel a bulge in the back pocket of my jeans and am instantly aware that it belongs to my gun.

"I knew something was going on," David says. "You've been running around with genetically damaged people all week, Tris, did you think I wouldn't notice?" He shakes his head. "And then your friend Cara was caught trying to manipulate the lights, but she very wisely knocked herself out before she could tell us anything. So I came here, just in case. I'm sad to say I'm not surprised to see you."

"You came here alone?" I say feeling the bulge of my gun more and more. "Not very smart, are you?"

His bright eyes squint a little. "Well, you see, I have death serum resistance and a weapon, and you have no way to fight me."

He doesn't know that I still have my gun.

"There's no way you can steal four virus devices while I have you at gunpoint. I'm afraid you've come all this way for no reason and it will be at the expense of your life. The death serum may not have killed you Tris, but I am going to. I'm sure you understand –officially we don't allow capital punishment, but I can't have you surviving this."

He thinks I'm here to steal the weapons that will reset the experiments, not deploy one of them. Of course he does.

I try to guard my expression, though I'm sure it's still slack. I sweep my eyes across the room, searching for the device that will release the memory serum virus. I was there when Matthew described it to Caleb in painstaking detail earlier: a black box with a silver keypad, marked with a strip of blue tape with a model number written on it. It is one of the only items on the counter along the left wall, just a few feet away from me. But I can't move, or else he'll shoot me. I need to get my gun out of my pocket. It is my only hope.

I'll have to wait for the right moment, and do it fast.

"I know what you did," I say. I start to back up, my hand slowly moving towards my back pocket, hoping that the accusation will distract him. "I know you designed the attack simulation. I know you're responsible for my parents' deaths-for my _mother's_ death. I know."

"I am not responsible for her death!" David says, the words bursting from him, too loud and too sudden. "I _told_ her what was coming just before the attack began, so she had enough time to escort her loved ones to a safe house, If she had stayed put, she would have lived. But she was a foolish woman who didn't understand making sacrifices for the greater good, and it _killed_ her!"

I frown at him. There's something about his reaction-about the glassiness of his eyes-something that he mumbled when Nita shot him with the fear serum-something about _her_.

"Did you love her?" I say. "All those years she was sending you correspondence . . . the reason you never wanted her to stay there . . . the reason you told her you couldn't read her updates anymore, after she married my father . . ."

David sits still, like a statue, like a man of stone.

"I did," he says. "But that time is past."

That must be why he welcomed me into his circle of trust, why he gave me so many opportunities. Because I am a piece of her, wearing her hair and speaking with her voice. Because he has spent his life grasping at her and come up with nothing.

My hand momentarily stops its journey towards my pocket, as I take in the information, and then it continues moving, getting closer to its destination.

I hear footsteps in the hallway outside. The soldiers are coming. Good-I need them to. I need them to be exposed to the airborne serum, to pass it on to the rest of the compound. I hope they wait until the air is clear of death serum.

"My mother wasn't a fool," I say. "She just understood something you didn't. That it's not sacrifice if it's someone _else's_ life you're giving away, it's just evil." I back up another step as my hand reaches the gun and grasps it. I feel more confident as I feel the cool metal beneath my palm. But I must continue talking. So I say, "She taught me all about real sacrifice. That it should be done from love, not misplaced disgust for someone else's genetics. That it should be done from necessity, not without exhausting all other options. That it should be done for people who need your strength because they don't have enough of their own. That's why I need to stop you from 'sacrificing' all those people and their memories. Why I need to rid the world of you once and for all."

I shake my head.

"I didn't come here to steal anything. Goodbye David." I twist and pull out my gun just as his goes off. Pain races through my body. I remember my Dauntless training and I steady my gun, concentrating on my target. His gun goes off again. More pain, and black edges on my vision, but I grit my teeth and ignore the pain racing through my body, willing my body to become numb.

I move my gun slightly and aim for David's injured leg. I pull the trigger and his scream of agony fills the room as his gun drops to the floor. I neither pause nor hesitate. I change my aim and pull the trigger once more. The bullet hits his chest, effectively silencing him for ever.

I turn my back to his body and run towards the device. I can still hear Caleb repeating the code for Matthew. With a quaking hand I type in the numbers on the keypad and slam my hand down on the green button. A light turns on behind it. I hear a beep and a churning sound as I slide to the floor.

_I did it_. But I don't feel like rejoicing. The pain in my body returns with a vengeance as my mind finds nothing more to concentrate on. I feel something warm on my neck and right cheek and also on my left shoulder. Red. Blood is a strange colour. Dark.

From the corner of my eye, I see David slumped over in his chair. I know I have killed him and now I will die too. At least mine isn't a useless death.

I wait for the thread to start tugging at me again, a force pulling me towards my death. But instead I see a face. Dark, thick hair, dark blue eyes that I can drown in, muscular figure, _Tobias_. I know that if I die now, he will break apart and cease to live. He will become a shadow of the man he is. Because he loves me and cannot live without me. It is the same for me. I cannot leave him.

Another memory enters my mind: _Christina sits at the side of Uriah's bed. I drag a chair over to sit next to her. She clutches Uriah's hand, which stays limp on the sheets. "Sometimes I just feel like I've lost all my friends," she says. "You haven't lost Cara," I say. "Or Tobias. And Christina, you haven't lost me. You'll never lose me." _

If I die now I will go back on my promise because Christina will have lost me.

I wobble to my feet. I can't die now. I must live for all my friends because I need them just as much as they need me. I feel weak from all the blood loss and bright lights cloud my vision as I take slow steps forward. But _I must survive. _

I walk through the blasted doors, leaving David's body behind me. I have killed him and his name has been added to the ever increasing list of people that I have killed but I cannot feel guilt for him. I must move on.

**AN: So I switched the story and she kills David instead of him killing her:P**

**But I might not be able to update for more than a week because I'm going out of town.**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN-Okay, this chapter was a little difficult to write. And then something went wrong with my comp and half of it got deleted so I had to re-type it. Also I'm not exactly happy with the way its come out but I've tried my best. Please read and review to tell me what you think.**

**There are a lot of shifts in the POVs but I've mentioned the names so that people don't get confused. Enjoy... :) **

Tobias:

We drive past the fences and stop by the front doors, which are no longer manned by guards. We get out, and Zeke seizes his mother's hand to steady her as she shuffles through the snow. As we walk into the compound, I know for a fact that Caleb succeeded, because there is no one in sight. That can only mean that they have been reset, their memories forever altered. But it also means that Caleb is gone, forever, because he cannot have resisted the death serum. I don't feel sad about his death though, he betrayed Tris. I don't feel anything for him.

"Where is everyone?" Amar says.

We walk through the abandoned security checkpoint without stopping. On the other side I see a figure, but I am too far away to make out who it is. As we walk closer, I see the green eyes, _Caleb_.

I continue walking, the fact not registering in my brain. But it does after a moment and I stop, stunned. From the corner of my eye I see Christina wearing a similar expression, eyes wide, mouth slightly open, stunned look on her face, so I know that I am not imagining him. Seeing us Caleb smiles and this gets my brain working.

_How is he alive? He definitely cannot have resisted the death serum, he isn't even Divergent._ At the word Divergent, I realize: Tris must have gone into the Weapon's Lab instead of Caleb. Of course she would. The Abnegation girl inside her would not have let her brother sacrifice himself. In the back of my mind, I suppose, I knew this all along, but I ignored it and I left her alone.

I look around, hoping that Tris will appear, calling out my name, her eyes bright and her cheeks flushed and her small body full of power, telling me that she hasn't left me, showing me that she resisted the death serum and survived. But Tris doesn't appear. It is like Erudite head quarters all over again, but this time I didn't go after her and there was no Peter to save her. She is gone.

At this white, hot fury bursts inside me, consuming me and I turn towards her brother. I walk up to him quickly and grab his collar, his smile disappears and he looks confused as well as scared, nothing like her. He opens his mouth to say something, but I slam him into the wall. I am about to repeat the action when someone calls my name, "Tobias!"

The voice is familiar, very familiar. I turn quickly, letting go of Caleb and I see her. _Tris_. _My Tris_. Her eyes, light blue like open skies, her hair short but silky, her small but strong body. For the second time I wonder whether I am imagining things. But she runs up to me and hugs me. As I feel her strong hands around me and the texture of her skin on mine, I realize that I am not imagining her. She is actually here and she is alive. I hug her back fiercely. I will never let her go again.

* * *

Tris:

As I feel Tobias' strong arms hug me back, I feel glad that I fought back and didn't leave him. But suddenly, he draws back and gives me a confused look. He wants an explanation. I sigh, hoping that he won't get mad at me, hoping that he will understand.

* * *

Tobias:

Tris leads Christina and me to a small room. I see Amar take Zeke and Hanna to Uriah's room and for the first time I notice Matthew and Cara standing nearby. Cara's face is badly bruised and there's a bandage on her head. I raise my eyebrows at her but she just shakes her head a little and gives Tris a look I can't understand. What's going on? My mind is full of questions; how is Caleb alive? Did Tris go to the Weapons Lab in his place? What happened to Cara? I definitely need an explanation because I have a strong hunch that things didn't go according to the plan.

* * *

Tris:

"I'm going to explain everything that happened while you'll were gone, but no interruptions," I say, looking at them both. "Okay?"

"Yeah," says Christina. Tobias just looks at me strangely. This is going to be difficult.

"Well, things didn't exactly go the way we had planned and…"

* * *

Tobias:

My mind is swirling when Tris finishes explaining. I go over the facts in my head once again. That's when a few things hit me. Tris went into the Weapons Lab instead of Caleb. She survived the death serum, but met David in the lab. He almost killed her but she shot him and killed him. Then she set off the memory serum. She was weak because of the blood loss and almost died, _again. _Then she remembered me and a promise she made to Christina and she felt that she could not leave us so she got up and walked out, _alive_.

I experience a lot of emotions at the same time. Frustration that she put her life in danger and sacrificed herself for someone who betrayed her, relief that she survived the death serum, anger at David for injuring her, pride that she set off the memory serum, anguish that she was so close to going away, so close to leaving me. And finally love, love because she values me so much that just my image in her mind gave her the strength to fight of even death so that she could return to me.

I always thought that death was the greatest force that ever existed, it catches everyone and it is unpredictable. It springs on everyone and no one can escape. But now I realize that love is the greatest force that exists, that will ever exist. Love for someone can make you defy everything, even death to reach that person and mine and Tris' love is an example of just that.

Of course, I don't say that aloud. It would sound too cheesy and I am still angry that she decided to sacrifice herself for a spine less brat who does not deserve it. So I just lean down to give her a gentle kiss, not caring that Christina is still in the room. "I love you," I say quietly. "I love you too," she says looking sort of relieved. "But," I say and her expression falls "That doesn't mean that I agree with what you did."

"You don't have to agree with everything I do, Tobias, I can make my own decisions, whether you like them or not" she says, her tone defensive.

"Why do you always insist on putting your life in danger? Why do you make sacrifices for people who don't deserve it? Why don't you just stick to the plan?" I ask, my own voice getting louder with every word.

Tris opens her mouth to retort when Christina yells, "QUIET! Stop it!"

"You'll have both done important things, maybe risky but still important," she continues, "You might not agree with what the other has done but there is no point in arguing about it. It is done and over with. Whatever happened might not have been what we decided or wanted but our plans have worked. So just stop yelling at each other. It won't change anything."

I don't want to believe it but she is right, Candor smart mouth that she is.

So I say, "I'm sorry."

Tris' expression softens and she says, "I'm sorry too, but he is my brother, Tobias, my flesh and blood and I love him."

I simply nod. I still don't agree with what she did, but maybe I can try to understand why she did it.

Then in a much softer voice, I say, "I just don't want to lose you."

She smiles, "I don't want to lose you either."

We lean in for another kiss when suddenly Cara runs into the room. She looks breathless; like she ran a lot and her cheeks are flushed. She pants a bit but says, "Uriah…

**AN- Ahhh a cliffy, its not a big one but its a cliffy all the same.**

**Do you think that I should have let tris and Tobias argue more? Do you think he accepted what she did too easily? Once again please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN- Here's the third chapter. :)**

**To all those people who were not satisfied with my last chapter, sorry. But i found it very difficult to write that argument. Hope you enjoy this one (chapter not argument):P**

**Another thing that I forgot to mention last time, is that the whole Evelyn scene, the treaty, the scene with Peter, the scene with Zeke and Hanna is the same as in the book.**

Tris POV:

Cara runs in panting, and says, "Uriah…" She puts her hands on her knees and takes deep breaths. I have a feeling she ran all the way from Uriah's room.

But why?

"What happened?" Christina asks, quickly. Cara looks up and I notice that she looks excited. A little bit of hope swells in my stomach. She obviously has good news.

"Uriah is going to wake up. The doctor was just checking on him and he found brain signals. He said it has something to do with the memory serum being released," Cara says quickly, before any of us try to interrupt.

There is a pause as everyone digests the information and then Christina gives a squeal and sort of jumps on Cara and me. Uriah not waking up has affected her the most. During initiation, I was closer to him but ever since we've come to the bureau, they had been hanging around together a lot. Christina also spent the most time in Uriah's room, sitting next to him after we were told that he was not going to wake up, so her reaction does not surprise me. I merely hug her back while Cara tries to disentangle herself.

Tobias' face registers some disbelief, relief and happiness. He starts bombarding Cara with questions. I break away from Christina's grip and put a hand on his arm. Then I turn to Cara and ask, "Can we go see him?" She nods and we all walk towards his room.

We enter and some of my hope diminishes. Uriah is still in the same position that I last saw him in. I didn't expect him to be awake, Cara told us that it will take him around two days to wake up, but I guess I had expected some change. I do notice a machine near his head, similar to a heart monitor that is softly beeping at regular intervals. It must be monitoring the brain signals.

A doctor stands nearby with a clipboard in hand while Matthew is explaining something to Zeke and his mother. Caleb stands in the corner of the room, listening to Matthew, looking fascinated. He looks up when we enter and gives me a smile and looks at Tobias cautiously.

I turn to Matthew and listen to what he is saying.

"…so when the memory serum was released, Uriah had not been inoculated. Due to the state he was in, the serum did not affect him as it affects others and he did not lose his memory. Instead, the serum induced a strange reaction in him that caused brain signals to appear."

Indicating towards the machine, Matthew continues, "The signals are faint but over a couple or days, the doctor says that they should be strong enough for him to be able to regain consciousness. I don't think the creators of the memory serum were aware of this added advantage of the memory serum, so I will have to do some research about this. However, Uriah will definitely be up and about in around three- four days." Saying this Matthew smiles and turns towards us.

* * *

Tobias POV (3 days later):

Once again we've all assembled in Uriah's room. There is an air of suspense in the room, everyone waiting for something to happen. Tris and I stand near the bed next to Christina. Hanna sits in the chair holding Uriah's right hand while Zeke stands opposite holding the other one.

Earlier today when I stepped into the room, Zeke had looked up and given me a brief smile. I think that over time things will return to normal between us. At least, I hope so. During the past three days Zeke has been keeping his distance from me, I know he blames me partially for his brother's death, blames me for not taking care of him. I don't mind him blaming me, after all, I blame myself too, but I feel like I've lost another of my friends.

The doctor stands near Zeke and behind him are Cara and Matthew. I know that Caleb is behind me and I'm glad I can't see him. I guess I still haven't forgiven him for betraying Tris.

Suddenly, everyone's eyes are drawn to Hanna and Uriah's hands. There's a slight twitch of his fingertips. And then his hand slowly grips his mother's hand. I know without having to look that there are tears in Hanna's eyes.

It seems like everyone in the room is holding their breaths (except the doctor), in anticipation. After what seems like a long time, Uriah's eyes flutter open. He looks around, taking in the scene in front of him, looking confused. Then as though he suddenly remembered everything, he looks at his mother in surprise and says, "Mum?" Hanna laughs and for a moment Zeke's eyes meet mine. Then Uriah turns to the rest of us and asks, "What's going on? Why am I here?"

For the next half an hour, everyone tells Uriah the story. I join in a few times, but mentally I try to prepare myself for what is coming next. Today morning I told everyone not to mention that I was a part of the first rebellion. The one that was supervised by Nita. I said that I wanted to tell him myself. I wanted to confess myself.

After they are done, in typical Uriah style, he says, "Aww man! I missed all the interesting stuff!" making everyone laugh. Then slowly everyone starts to leave the room, to give me some privacy I guess. I appreciate that. Tris gives my hand a squeeze as she leaves, her eyes giving me a look that says, 'It's not your fault. Don't be too hard on yourself." I just shake my head.

Soon there's only Uriah and me left. He gives me a questioning look. I can a deep breath and speak, "I just wanted to confess something to you. The first rebellion, by the GD rebels, I was a part of it. I was lied to and I didn't know the actual plan, but I was still a part of it. So indirectly, I am responsible for what happened to you. I am really sorry about it and…"

"Wait," says Uriah, "Did you blow that hole in the wall?"

I shake my head.

"Then don't worry. You're safe from the wrath of Uriah." He says, grinning.

I grin back, something I never expected I would do, but his words have calmed some of the guilt in my heart. But I notice that though he smiles, his eyes still look sad.

I get up to leave saying that I'll send in Zeke and Hanna, since I have nothing else to say and I don't see any reason for meaningless chit-chat. Just as I'm at the door, I hear him say, "I was so close to being with them…"

I don't think his words are directed to me, he seems to be speaking to himself but I still turn around. I know who he means by _them_. He is talking about Marlene, Lynn and maybe even his father. The words exit my mouth even before I know I'm saying them, "Everyone will die at some point of time. So you will get to meet _them_ sooner or later. But at the same time, the longer you remain alive, the more time you get to spend with those who are still here. You only live once, Uriah."

He looks up at me startled. I am surprised at my own words. But they seem to help him. He looks thoughtful for a moment, but then nods and smiles, a wide smile that reaches his eyes and I step out of his room feeling content.

After telling Zeke and Hanna that Uriah wants to meet them I turn to search for Tris, still smiling.

Since I was young, I have always known this: Life damages us, every one. We can't escape that damage.

But now I am also learning this: We can be mended. We mend each other.

**AN- Sorry I just had to put in that last line, even if it doesn't exactly fit in with the story. I really love that line. Here it sort of refers to Uriah and what Tobias said to him. :\**

**Anyways, this is the second last chapter, the next one will be the two and a half years later one. There aren't any more scenes to write.**

**Also I need at least 15 reviews before I put in the next and final chapter (3 per chapter), so please review people!**


	4. Epilogue: Two and a half years later

**AN- So here's the last chapter. Its much longer than the other three, but i guess that makes up for the long wait :P Hope youll enjoy.**

**I know I said that I would wait for 15 reviews but I wanted to complete it and school's starting so then I wouldn't be able to update. Anyways without further wait, I give you: Chapter 4 ;)**

Tobias:

Evelyn stands at the place where two worlds meet. Tire tracks are worn into the ground now, from the frequent coming and going of people from the fringe moving in and out, or people from the former Bureau compound commuting back and forth. Her bag rests against her leg, in one of the wells in the earth. She lifts a hand to greet me when I'm close.

Tris stayed back at our apartment when I came here to pick Evelyn up. She wanted to give me some time alone with my mother and I agreed. I have to a promise to keep.

When Evelyn gets into the truck, she kisses my cheek and I let her. I feel a smile creep across my face, and I let it there. "Welcome back," I say.

The agreement, when I offered it to her more than two years ago, and when she made it again with Johanna shortly after, was that she would leave the city. Now, so much has changed in Chicago that I don't see the harm in her coming back, and neither does she. Tris was a little reluctant at first but she didn't say anything.

Though two years have passed, my mother looks younger, her face fuller and her smile wider. The time away has done her good. "How are you?" she asks.

"I'm … okay," I say. And I mean it. I feel content with my life right now, even happy. After all, it's much better than my life before. I'm finally in a place that seems like home. A place where I am not limited or bound by anything except myself.

Today would be Choosing Day, if we still had factions. I decide not to mention this to Evelyn. I don't think she would take it well.

But after I drop her to her apartment, Tris and I are meeting up with the rest to go zip lining. Normally I would not have agreed, but my four fears still occupy part of my mind and I still try to overcome them sometimes. I can no longer go into my fear landscape, so I must try to face them in other ways

Evelyn puts a hand on my shoulder and looks out at the fields. The crops that were once isolated to the areas around Amity headquarters have spread, and continue to spread through all the grassy spaces around the city. Sometimes I miss the desolate, empty land. But Tris loves the rows and rows of corn or wheat. She says they make her feel free. I see people among the plants, checking the soil with handheld devices designed by former Bureau scientists. They wear red and blue and green and purple.

"What's it like, living without factions?" Evelyn says. "It's very ordinary," I reply. I smile at her. "You'll love it."

* * *

Tris:

I wait outside our apartment just north of the river. It's on one of the lower floors, but through the abundant windows I can see a wide stretch of buildings.

Since we were one of the first settlers in the new Chicago, Tobias and I got to choose where we lived. Zeke, Uriah, Shauna, Christina, Amar and George opted to live in the higher floors of the Hancock building, and Caleb and Cara both moved back to the apartments near Millennium Park, along with Matthew. But we came here. We both had different reasons. Me, because it was beautiful and I felt free here, and Tobias because it was nowhere near either of his old homes and because not many people live here.

I see Tobias drive up in the truck, Evelyn next to him. She looks younger, healthier. I stand quietly. She notices me and looks surprised. Then she gives me a nod. I return it with a brief smile and part of her expression eases. We will never have a close relationship, but at least we can remain on neutral terms. After all, I've been given the second chance of a new life. I might as well give one to others.

Tobias starts speaking, diverting her attention."My neighbor is a history expert, he came from the fringe," he says as he searches his pockets for the keys. "He calls Chicago 'the fourth city' - because it was destroyed by fire, ages ago, and then by the Purity War, and now we're on the fourth attempt at settlement here."

"The fourth city," says Evelyn, as he pushes open the door to her apartment. "I like it."

There's hardly any furniture inside. It's one of the new apartments so there's a couch, a table, some chairs, a kitchen and a bedroom – all provided by the government because most people from the fringe didn't have much money to pay for furniture. Our apartment is similar but it is bigger with two bedrooms. Sunlight winks in the windows of the buildings across the marshy river. Some Bureau scientists are trying to restore the river and the lake to their former glory, but it will take time.

Evelyn drops her bag on the couch. "Thank you for getting me a place to stay," she says. Tobias looks at me. "You should thank Tris. She was the one who did all the _getting_," he says. Evelyn turns towards me and smiles, while repeating her thank you. I simply nod. I feel nervous about her being so close by. But Tobias made a promise to bridge the gap between them and I won't stop him.

* * *

Tobias:

"George says he needs some help training a police force," Evelyn says. "You didn't offer?"

"No," I say. "I told you, I'm done with guns."

"That's right. You're using _words_ now," Evelyn says, wrinkling her nose. "I don't trust politicians, you know."

"You'll trust me, because I am your son," I say. "Anyway, I'm not a politician. Not yet, anyway. Just an assistant."

She sits at the table and looks around, twitchy and spry, like a cat. **(AN: I have cut out the conversation about Tobias' father and the part where Evelyn gives him the blue glass sculpture but it's still supposed to be there. I'm just too lazy to write it all out.)**

* * *

Tris:

The spring air is cold but I make Tobias leave the windows open in the truck, so I can feel it swirl around me. Tobias stops by the train platform near the Merciless Mart. We get out and head over to where the group has already gathered. There's Christina and Uriah and Zeke and Shauna, who sits in the wheelchair with a blanket over her lap. She has a better wheelchair now, one without handles on the back, so that she can maneuver it more easily. Matthew stands on the platform with his toes over the edge.

"Hi," I say as I go to stand next to Christina. Tobias stands at Shauna's shoulder. "Hey," says Christina while Zeke claps Tobias on the shoulder and Uriah grins at everyone. Matthew comes over to stand next to me.

"Got something to show you'll," Shauna says, and she tosses the blanket aside, revealing complicated metal braces on her legs. They go all the way up to her hips and wrap around her belly like a cage. She smiles, and with a gear – grinding sound, her feet shift to the ground in front of the chair, and in fits and starts, she stands.

Tobias says, "Well, look at that, I'd forgotten how tall you are." I smile widely. I didn't know Shauna well earlier; she was just Lynn's sister. But now I do, and she is one of my close friends. "Caleb and his lab buddies made them for me," she says. "Still getting the hang of it, but they say I might be able to run someday." The look in her eyes is wistful.

"That's great," I say. "So Caleb's with Amar?"

"Yes. They'll meet us at the end of the line," says Zeke. "They'll be there to catch the first person."

"He's still sort of a pansycake, but I'm coming around to him," say Uriah. Shauna and Christina nod. I grin. Caleb was terrified when I told him to come zip lining with us, but I didn't tell my friends that. I said that he had offered to go with Amar to catch the first person. Everyone had seen through that, but no one had objected. And now, I was glad that they didn't hate him.

I am pulled out of the memory, by the sight of the train coming. It charges toward us on the polished rails, and then squeals as it slows to a stop in front of the platform. A head leans out of the window of the first car, where the controls are – its Cara, her hair in a tight braid.

"Get on," she says.

Shauna sits in her chair again and pushes herself through the doorway. We all follow and stand around in a group, just talking about things which have little meaning. I join in at times but I also just enjoy the fact that we've been able to meet up after a long time.

All of us have to work hard at our new jobs. Cara and Caleb work in the laboratories at the compound, which are now a small segment of the Department of Agriculture that works to make agriculture more efficient, capable of feeding more people. Matthew works in psychiatric research somewhere in the city. Zeke, Uriah and Amar are policemen, and George trains the police force – Dauntless jobs, they call them. Christina and I work in an office that relocates people from the fringe who want to move into the city. And Tobias is assistant to one of our city's representatives in government: Johanna Reyes. I was a bit surprised that he chose that job, but he seemed to want to do it so I let him. Peter, after he emerged from the memory serum haze, went off to Milwaukee and he works in an office or something. No one keeps in touch with him and I'm glad he isn't anywhere close by.

* * *

Tobias:

"Hey," Christina says, standing beside me. "How's your mother?"

"Fine," I say. "We'll say I guess."

"Are you going to zip line?"

"Yes. I think I would like to try it out at least once."

"I think you should," agrees Christina, "It's a lot of fun."

After we came back to Chicago, Christina and I have become great friends. She is a good listener and gives great advice, Candor smart–mouth that she is. She helps me with my job quite a bit.

Cara guides the train to a stop, and I hop onto the platform. At the top of the stairs Shauna gets out of the chair and works her way down the steps, Zeke walking next to her to help her. Matthew and I carry her empty chair after her, which is cumbersome and heavy, but not impossible to manage.

We walk the streets to the zip line. The factions are gone but there are mostly Dauntless living in this area and in the Hancock building. They are recognizable by their tattoos and piercings, while the colors they wear are sometimes garish. Some of them walk on the sidewalks but most are at work. Everyone in Chicago is required to work if they are able.

Ahead of me, I see the Hancock building, its base wider than the top. We enter the lobby which still has Dauntless graffiti on the walls. Zeke jabs the elevator button with his index finger, we pile in, and Cara presses number 99.

I close my eyes as the elevator surges upward. I can almost see the space opening up beneath my feet, a shaft of darkness, and only a foot of solid ground between me and the sinking, dropping, plummeting. The only thing stopping me from drowning in my fear is Tris' hand, clasped in mine and her side pressing into me, sending sparks of warmth shooting through my body. The elevator shudders as it stops and I lean slightly into Tris to steady myself as the doors open.

Zeke touches my shoulder. "Don't worry, man. We did this all the time, remember?" I nod. Air rushes through the gap in the ceiling, and above me is the sky, bright blue. I shuffle with the others toward the ladder, too numb with fear to make my feet move any faster. I don't let go of Tris' hand until we reach the ladder.

I find the ladder with my fingertips and focus on one rung at a time. Above me, Shauna maneuvers awkwardly up the ladder, using most of the strength in her arms. I stare at the buildings along the marsh front, and my chest tightens, squeezes, like it's about to collapse into itself.

Zeke runs across the roof, to the zip line and attaches one of the man-sized slings to the steel cable. He locks it so it won't slide down and looks at us all, expectantly.

"Christina, it's all you," he says. Christina stands near the sling, tapping her chin with a finger. "What do you guys think? Face-up or backward?"

"Backward," says Matthew. "I want to go face-up so I don't wet my pants, and I don't want you copying me." Everyone laughs. I remain quiet. Tris' hand finds mine again.

"Going face-up will only make that more likely to happen, you know," Christina says. "So go ahead and do it so I can start calling you Wetpants." More laughter.

Christina gets in the sling feet-first, belly down, so she'll watch the buildings get smaller as she travels. I shudder and close my eyes as Christina travels farther and farther away, and even as Matthew, Cara, and then Shauna, do the same. I can hear their cries of joy, like birdcalls, on the wind.

"Your turn, Four," say Zeke.

I shake my head. "Come on," Tris says. "You can do this."

"No. You go first," I say. She looks at me in concern. "Please." "Okay," she says. I close my eyes, but open them again when I hear no movement from her. I raise an eyebrow at her and she shakes her head, half with amusement and half with concern. "You have to leave my hand first," she says, smiling. I drop her hand, "Sorry."

She walks up to the sling, but only after she's given my shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

* * *

Tris:

I get into the sling, the way I did last time, when I was just an initiate. Face-first, belly down, so I can watch the ground coming up to meet me.

I turn to look at Tobias one last time. His eyes are wide open but I can see the fear in them. I try to give him a reassuring look, but I doubt he notices. I turn back and see the buildings spread out below, with the river next to them, the water sparkling as it catches the sunlight. I feel a thrill in my stomach, the fear-thrill the true Dauntless love. But I am not afraid. I am worried about Tobias, but that doesn't stop me from enjoying this. A part of me still wants to stay back and comfort him, though.

And then I am off. Soaring high above everything. I am suspended in the air, in that moment. The river is below me and above is the wide open sky. I feel free, and I spread my arms out, making me feel like I am flying, gliding, like a bird. The wind whips through my hair and around my whole body, powerful and stinging. It pulls strands of my blonde hair out of the pony –tail I secured them in. I don't care. I love every moment of it.

I see the ground get closer and closer and then I see our little group, the figures standing together creating a safety net for me to jump onto. The sling stops slowly and I wriggle out of the harness and jump, a wide smile stretching across my face.

* * *

Tobias:

I watch Tris get into the sling, I watch her look back at me and I watch as Zeke sends her out, over Lake Shore Drive, over the city. That's all I do – watch. Tris quickly becomes a speck in the horizon and then disappears altogether. Then it's just Zeke and me left, staring at each other. "I don't think I can do this," I say, and though my voice is steady, my body is shaking. "Of course you can," he says. "You're _Four_, Dauntless legend. You can face anything."

I cross my arms and inch closer to the edge of the roof. Even though I'm several feet away, I feel my body pitching over the edge, and I shake my head again, and again, and again.

"Hey," Zeke puts his hand on my shoulders. "Come on. You can do it, I know you can. You've got to do it at least once, I know you. You won't rest in peace until you do." He is right. I want to do this at least once. Maybe only to try and get over my fear or maybe not. I build up my courage and climb into the sling, my hands shaking so much that I can barely grip the sides. I get in the way Tris did, face first and her image in my mind makes me feel more secure. Zeke tightens the straps across my back and legs, and I take a deep breath in as I slowly start to slide.

And suddenly, I am diving toward the ground, I'm screaming so loud, I want to cover my ears. I feel the scream living inside me, filling my throat, chest and head. The wind stings my eyes but I force them open, and in a moment of blind panic, I look up at the skies. They are a light blue-grey, just like Tris' eyes. I concentrate on the sky, and the image of her eyes, and I start feeling calmer. Her eyes have always made me feel like I am better than who I actually am, they have made me feel braver and yet calmer. They do the same now. In them I have seen love, courage, power, determination, anger, sorrow and happiness. They have always been so stern, so insistent. Beautiful.

I realize then, that I have stopped moving. The ground is only a few feet below me, close enough to jump down. The others have gathered there in a circle, their arms clasped to form a net of bone and muscle to catch me in. I press my face to the sling and laugh. I undo the straps holding me and drop into the net like a stone. They catch me, their bones pinching at my back and legs, and lower me to the ground.

Everyone is smiling and most turn to watch Zeke, on his way. But I have eyes only for one person. She is looking at me as well. And this time, in her eyes, I see pride. I know what is in my eyes though, and I say it out loud.

"I love you, Tris."

"I love you too Tobias."

And we kiss.

**AN- So there you go, my first story is complete :)**

**I have other ideas but they wont be here for some time since I still need to think them out.**

**I would like to thank all those people who reviewed/favorited/followed. It has been really motivating to know that someone likes what I write. Please don't forget to review for this chapter :D**

**I'd also like to thank my friend again. She is really awesome. She has written a very sweet story called Fourtris by vanessa1900 and she has started her second story. So go check it out :)**

**If any of youll have ideas about what I should write, please PM me.**

**Bye :]**

**-elomeno**


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